MJJ-Snake Island
ni’ ’u kw’i stl’iilnup tthuw’ne’ellh, qu.u.ux hwulmuhw.
Many people were at Stl’iilnup (Departure Bay).
(suw’ haysul’s kw’ukw...)
[false start]
suw’ hwun’ hay’sulh ’al’ s’ilhtuns tthu yuw’en’ mustimuhw tun’a squlwey’ kwumuluhw kw’ wulh hithulh.
The only foods of those first people were still just herbs and roots long ago.
suw’ ’i’lhtuns tthuw’ne’ellh ’u thu se’eq, ’ilhtun ’u thu se’eq.
So, they were eating bracken-fern roots, eating bracken-fern roots.
’i’ hay thu mun’us tthuw’ne’ellh, ’apun tthuw’ne’ellh tu me’mun’us, ’apun suw’wuy’qe’.
And they had a daughter, and they had ten children, ten boys.
(tstamuta’lu)
[aside: What’s the matter?]
’apun tthu me’mun’us.
They had ten children.
suw’ naants’a’ thu slheni’ mun’us.
And they had one daughter.
suw’ ’i.i.ilhtuns ’u thu se’eq.
And she was always eating ate bracken-fern roots.
’uw’ yath ha’ tssetum ’u tthu shhwuw’weli’s, “tuw’ ’ulhtun lhe ’u tiw’ tth’etth’ulh.”
Her parents were always telling her, “Eat a little of this nourishing food.”
’i’ ’u.u.uwu.
But she wouldn’t.
’uw’ hay thu se’eq s’ilhtuns.
She ate only fern roots.
hwun’ xut’u ’i’ wulh ’um’i naasthut thuw’ni.i.ilh
Suddenly, she began to get fat.
ni’ wulh hwu nas.
She became fat.
suw’ t’et’uyuq’s tthu tsi’tsut ’uw’ ’iis tstamut thu mun’us ’u shus xte’ ’u tthey’.
Then, her father got angry, wondering what had happened to his daughter to cause that.
suw’ (putumut-s) pte’mut-s thu tsi’tsut thu mun’us ’uw’ nilhus wet kwu ni’ sq’a’s.
So, [false start] the mother asked her daughter who had been with her.
suw’ thut-s thuw’nilh, “’uwu te’ wet.”
And she said, “Nobody.”
suw’ xee.ee.eems thuw’nilh.
Then, she cried.
xeem.
She cried.
suw’ nan ’uw’ wulh t’eeyuq’ tthuw’nilh.
Then, he became very angry.
suw’ thut-s, “wa’lu ’uy’us kws nem’ tst qw’imut ’u thu skwthe’.
Then, he said, “Maybe we had better put her ashore on the island.
wu n’an naas ’i [?] wulh hwu nas.”
She’s getting too fat.”
sis ’uw’ huye.e.e’stum taalustum nem’ ’u thu skwthe’. sis ’uw’ qw’imutum.
Then, they took her away, offshore to the island, and they put her ashore.
suw’ yu xee.ee.eem’ thu tsi’tsut kws m’is hwu’alum’, yu xeem’.
And her mother was crying for her to come home, really crying.
[suw’] hulun’umut-s [’i’] ’uwu kws tl’a’thut-s.
They got back home, but they couldn’t comfort her.
ni.i.i kw’in skweyul ’i’ tl’qw’uthut thuw’nilh tens.
After some days, her mother got ready.
hay ’uw’ yath nuw’ xuxulh shqwaluwuns ’u thu mun’us.
She was the only one who always felt sad about her daughter.
sis ’uw’ huye’ sha.a.aqwul.
Then, she left to cross over.
[suw’] tuss [thuw’nilh].
She got there.
(sumqw’i) “’uwu ch m’iihw tasthut?” ’uwlh thut-st-hwus thu tens.
[false start] “Won’t you come closer to me?” her mother said to her.
“’uwu ch m’iihw tasthut?”
“Won’t you come closer to me?”
sum’qw’uyi.i.i’us thu ’ulhqi’.
The snakes were piled up.
ha’ ni’ kwuy’xthut thuw’nilh, ’i’ ni’ muqw’uyi’usum tsum’um thu s’ulhqi’.
When she moved, a snake piled up on her back.
’i’ suw’ hwu’alum’.
And so she returned.
suw’ yuthust tthu ts’lhhwulmuhws.
And she told her people.
suw’ thay’tum tthu suni.i.ihwulh m’i tse’ [~ kws m’is tse’] yu kw’unkw’un’i’lum’ tthuw’nilh, sis ’uw’ num’nusum’.
And the people made canoes in order to transfer her, and they went for her.
sis m’uw’ huya’stum yu kw’unkw’un’i’lum’.
So, they transported her.
sis ’uw’ yu t’aqw’tus tthuw’ne’ellh thu ’ulhqi’.
They chopped at the snakes.
sus ’uw’ m’i.i.i huya’stum.
And they brought her away.
’i’ wulh m’i ts’imul’ ’u tthu slhelhult, ni’ hwu’alum’ tthu lhthuluq ’u thu ’ulhqi’ sis suw’ hwu’i.
And as they approached the shore, some of the snake that were split in half came back and they got here.
sus ’uw’ hwuni’ hun’umutnum’ thuw’nilh yuse’lu skweyul ’i’ ni’ q’ay.
And when they managed to get her home, in two days she died.
nilh thu ’ulhqi’ kws ’is m’i taantum tthu shni’s.
It was those snakes that came from that place where she was left.
nilh kwulh shis wulh neetum kw skwthe’ ’u kw’ hw’ulhquy’um.
Then, that is why the island was named “Snake Place.”
nilh they’ q’e’mi’ ni’ulh ni’.
It was that girl who was there.
’i’ kwulh hwun’ st’e ’al’ kwsuw’ qux thu ’ulhqi’ ni’ ’u they’.
And it is still just like that, with many snakes there.
(46) hw’ulhquy’um.
It is Snake Place.
nilh nuw’ shte’es ’al’.
It is just like that.
ni’ hay.
It’s finished.